SDCC: Hands-on with the new co-op & multi modes of AC III

Assassin's Creed III is looking to be the best Assassin's Creed yet. While the single-player is going to be a strong experience, we've yet to see much of the multiplayer. That was until this week here at San Diego Comic-Con.

I got to go hands-on with two brand new modes, and both were a blast to play. Only Assassin's Creed can make you feel like a total badass as you slam sharp objects into opponent's faces and slam them into the ground.

The first mode is called Wolf Pack, and is the very first time a co-op mode has been made for Assassin's Creed. You and up to three others will be hunting down various AI targets. Each target needs to be killed within a set short amount of time, plus you need to score a certain amount of points in order to hit your next target goal. Killing in style earns you the most points, with sloppy kills not earning quite as much.

After a target is taken care of, a new one will appear somewhere on the map and you'll need to quickly hunt them down. The amount of points you need to score also increases, so waves get progressively harder. Teamwork will be pretty important here, as killing together will give you more points.

It was a pretty fun and frantic offering but what really got my excited was the new Domination versus mode. It's a four-versus-four gametype where each team needs to capture and hold as many territories as they can.

The twist here is that teams trying to capture an opponent's territory can be killed, while the team owning the territory can only be stunned for a short amount of time. You can only kill the rival team within a territory once you've captured the spot.

Players will have access to a range of abilities, and everyone can now carry three at a time. One slot is dedicated to a ranged attack -- such as a poison dart -- while the other two slots can be equipped with a disguise ability, smoke bombs, invisibility, a shield that makes you immune to attacks, and much more.

The entire match took place on a map called Northwest Passage, the first ever "natural environment" map in AC's multiplayer. It takes place out in a snowy area, with lots of hills and natural ledges for the player to maneuver around. You can of course expect city environments too, and Ubisoft did show off another map set in Boston's harbor. Additionally, there's a dynamic weather system in place now, so snow storms, fog, and the like can affect the battlefield.

Domination was an absolute blast to play. It's very intense when you're trying to capture a point since you can't kill the opponent right away. I did a lot of running in circles trying to escape death a number of times, literally screaming out every time my character's face would get pierced with a sharp object.

Wolf Pack will be a fun distraction, but it's hard to see people playing it long after release. Domination, though, is where it's at. I'll be playing that a ton for sure when Assassin's Creed III is released later this year.